Jann Parry reviews Akram Khan. It's indicative of the impression that this brilliant dancer is making that this takes precedence over a review of the RB's 'Swan Lake'.

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Akram Khan dances in freefall, composed and intense, hanging in there for dear life. Where ballet dancers try to escape gravity, he ignores it. Thanks to his training in the Kathak tradition of Indian dance, he can scoot around space like a jump-cut edit. He's moved before you can blink. Khan has launched his own company (now touring) with a trio, Rush, following his concentrated solo, Fix. The solo is addictive, changing subtly each time he has performed it over the past year. Last week's account was the most ascetic yet, more a Sufi meditation than a journey of discovery.

Stephanie Ferguson is wowed by the Akram Khan Company performing in the Riley Theatre, Leeds. Khan is rather astonishing!<BR> <A HREF="http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/reviews/story/0,3604,400123,00.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/reviews/story/0,3604,400123,00.html</A> <BR>

'Akram Khan Festival Hall snaps up rising star' by Robin Stringer. An astute move by the South Bank - it's been quite a week for the exceptionally gifted Mr Khan. i still hope to see him do more pure Kathak as well as his clever fusion stuff.<P><A HREF="http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/hottx/review.html?in_review_id=351069&in_review_text_id=295464" TARGET=_blank><B>Akam Khan article</B></A><BR>

'Less is more when cultures clash on the dance floor.' Jenny Gilbert reviews Sakoba at the Linbury Studio and Akram Khan at The Laban Centre. The former does not go down too well, but like the rest of us Ms Gilbert is blown away by the wonderful Akram Khan.<P><A HREF="http://www.independent.co.uk/enjoyment/Theatre/Dance/Reviews/2001-02/gilbert040201.shtml" TARGET=_blank><B>Jenny Gilbert's review</B></A>

The Ancient made new Akram Khan's revitalized kathak is turning heads in the dance world

Khan describes the result as "contemporary kathak" but takes pains to point out that the movement is not a simple pastiche of Western and kathak styles. He speaks in terms of one type of dance being "inspired" by the spirit of the other.

His company's current repertoire consists of two short solos and a larger ensemble work entitled Rush, for three dancers.

From Deborah Jowitt in the Village Voice:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Akram Kahn appeared at the Kitchen as part of the UKwithNY festival. Born in London to Bengali parents, he infuses a contemporary sensibility with Indian traditions gleaned from the Kathak style, which he has studied and also performs.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><a href=http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0144/jowitt.php target=_blank>More</a>, at the bottom of the linked page.

<B>The hot new number on a set square</B> By Sharon Verghis August 21 2002 Sydney Morning Herald

Akram Khan has an accent that stubbornly defies colonialisation. A born and bred Londoner, he speaks with the soft cadences of Bangladesh, his melodic lilt more reminiscent of Dhaka than Dagenham.

If a voice can symbolise an artistic philosophy, then the 28-year-old dancer's accent is an unwitting but honest measure of his creative career. His footwork has been described as "fiendishly mathematical". His fusion of northern Indian classical forms with contemporary dance has been hailed as hybrid art at its best.

Akram Kahn's Kaash is fuelled with an abundantly rich mix. On ignition, this British dance company, only two years in existence, takes possession of the Drama Theatre stage. With the powerful visual effect of Anish Kapoor's set design and a musical/sound score by Nitin Sawhney that engulfs the audience from start to finish, Kahn and his four dancers invade the space with a choreographic meltdown of Western contemporary dance and the classical Indian form kathak.

As the dancers slice, spin and ripple their way through the first lengthy but compelling section, it is clear that this work has been meticulously and mathematically constructed. Complex rhythms and stylised gesture are blended with breadth and momentum to produce choreography that is never idle. It is relentless and almost too much.

Lucky Hong Kong! I haven't seen "Kaash" yet as I was out of London for the showings here. It remains my view that Akram Khan is the best male dancer in any style in the UK at present and his choreography is fascinating.

Globalisation or what! A Kathak/Modern fusion dancer from London previewed in China Daily.

British dancer unveils charm of Kathak by CHEN JIE for China Daily

Even a first-time viewer of Kathak, a northern Indian classic dance, would consider Akram Khan a virtuoso. That was the consensus of Chinese contemporary dancers and critics on Wednesday after they attended Akram Khan's demonstration/lecture in Beijing Modern Dance Co's (BMDC) rehearsal room.

Khan is one of the world's most-sought-after dance choreographers.

Khan's dances, as he noted after the demonstration, are filled with "energy, language, mathematics and rhythm."

Kathak dances are intricate. Khan must use all the joints and muscles in his feet to perform the routines - choreographic rhythms that thrill audiences.

CAMBRIDGE, England With rave notices from the likes of William Forsythe, Pina Bausch and Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, a string of prestigious awards and an impressive residency in London, Akram Khan is one of the most talked about young dancemakers on the international scene. <a href=http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/10/arts/dance/10GLAD.html target=_blank>more</a>

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